Shoe and box-toe therefor.



R. B. MELANSON.

SHOE AND BOX TOE THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1911.

Mig/S.

UNITED sT-ATEsrA'rET orio.

JOHN P. BAUER, 0F MARBLEEEAD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE AND Boz'rf'ronV'rrrrumroia.y

l Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

Application med :une s, 1911. serial No. 632,290.

To all whom it concern." Y

. Beit known that I, RANGHFORD B. MELAN- soNa citizen o f the United States, and a resident of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented ,i

certain new and useful' Improvements in Shoes and Box-Toes Therefor, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a shoe, the toe port-ion of the upper of which is reinforced4 and stitiened by a molded stiifener known as a box toe, and'composed of leather or other material adapted to be molded toa predetermined form by pressure. v

The invention has for its object, rst`,"'to

. enable a box toe to be. conveniently,quickly and accurately applied tothe toe port-ion of a shoe without the possibility of inaccurate or improper location 'of the lbox toe, and secondly, to providea molded box toe of improved construction, the novel features of the box toe being intended to enable it to be accurately'appliedV and to avoid -i-nward displacement of its rear edge and uncomfortable pressure the wearers foot,

The invention consists in the improved box toe as an article of manufacture, and in a turned shoe of which said box forms a part; all as hereinafter described and claimed. Y

' Of the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specificatiom-Figure 1 represents a sectional view'ofithe toe portion of a turned shoe in readiness for the insertion of the box toe in accordance with my improved method. Fig. 2 represents a side view of the toe portion of a last and a box toe embodying my invention applied thereto, and ready for insertion into the toe portion shown byFig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a-view similar to Flg. 1 showing the box toe in place. Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a top plan view of the box toe removed from the last. Fig. 6 represents a sectional view of the toe portion of' a partially completed welt shoe and, a portion of a last therein. Fig.` 7 represents a View similar to Fig. 6 showing the toe portion of a McKay sc wed shoe.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all the figures.

I will first describe my invention in connection with the manufacture of a turned V1, in which 15 represents .a box toe which` is molded to of said edge againstshoe and with reference to Figs. 1,'2, 3, and 4. 12 represents the sole, 13 the upper and '14 the upper lining of the toe portion of a turned shoe, the upper and lining being stitched in the usual way to the sole, while the parts are turnedinside out, after which the parts are turned totheir iinal position, that is, right side out, as

connect the upper and lining to the sole; The upper and lining are in a damp or moist condition to render them sufliciently exible for the turning operations. 16 represents the toe portion'of the last or form 17 which is inserted in a turned shoe while .the latter is in` the condition represented by Fig. 1, and fills and supports the interibor of the shoe during subsequent steps.v of the shoemaking operation.fThe last is of course shaped to accurately form the shoe and the boxtoe is molded so that its interior conforms exactly to `and bears directly uponthe toe portion of the last, the lower edges of the box toe being bent inwardly and crimped to form a flange 16 adapted to bear on the bottom of the last, as shown by Fig. 4. The external surface of the box is provldedwith a coating 16" represented by the heavy black line, Fig. 4,' said coating being formed by spreading any'suitable adhesive fluid substance on the outer surface of the box and drying the same so that the box when pr'epared for ilse, will not adhere to dry objects in which it comes in contact, the coating being readily -softened and rendered adhesive by moisture. The box 16 being placed on the toe portion of the last as stated, the last is forced into the interior of thel turned shoe,

indicated by Fig. the stitches which accurately fit and the coated surface of the box is thus "77" pressed closely against the moist toe portion of the lining 14, 'the flange 16a being pressed against the inwardly turned portion of the lining. The moisture of the lining softens the adhesive coating so 'that after if the last has remained in the shoe a suii-V cient length of time, the box adheres rmly to the lining, the last being left in the shoe until the lining is dry. The last is ,then removed from the shoe, the box remaining 55 therein in firm contact with the toe portion of the lining, and interposed as an inner lining between said toe portion and the interior of the shoe. as shown by Fig. 3.

It will be seen that the described operF l` ation insures a perfectly accurate location of the box in the shoe and its secure retention in place.

I am the first, so far as I am aware, to provide a turned shoe with a stiff mol'ded box. Heret'ofore the toe portions of turned shoes have been stiifened only by applying a harddrying paste to the lining of the toe portion of the upper, the lining being-.usually composed of two or more superimposed layers to the surfaces of which the paste is applied before the shoe is turned right-sideout, the paste being necessarily in a soft condition during the turning operation. It

is impossible to turn a shoe into the upper of which a. stiff molded box toe is incorporated. A turned shoe s`tifened by the drying and hardening of paste applied to 'layers of its lining soon loses its stiffness owing to the disintegration of the paste, so

, that the toe of a turned shoe, as heretofore made, never presents that smooth and desirable appearance which is due to the presence of a molded stiiiener. A turned shoe, made in accordance with my invention, has the desired ,stiffness and permanency of form at its toe portion.

To prevent liability of 'the inward bending or wrinkling of the rear edge of the box,

'and uncomfortable contact between the same and the wearers foot, I sub-divide said rea-r edge into a plurality of tongues 16C. This is preferably accomplished by cutting V- shaped notches in the rear'edge of the box, as represented by Figs. 2 and 5. The

tongues thus formed are free from contact' a welted shoe having the usual lip 19 to re.

ceive the inseam stitches which connect the upper and welt to the inner sole. In using my improved box toe inthe manufacture of a welted shoe, I mold the box in such manner that while its body portion accurately fits and bears upon the toe portion of the last 17, its flange 16l bears on the outer surface of the inner sole, the -edge of the latter-being interposed between the flange and the bottom of the last. The procedure in this case is'as follows: The inner sole 18 is first tacked temporarily to the bottom of the last, the box 16 is then placed upon the toe of the last and upon the toe portion of the inner sole and the upper and lining are lasted upon the box, the edge of the. upper and lining being turned over upon the edge of the inner sole and temporarily secured by lasting tacks as usual. After this, the welt is applied and secured to the upper and inner solel as usual. In this case the adhesive coating mayor may not be applied to the box, although I consider it preferable to employ this coating. The width of the iiange 16EL on the box is suchl that the inseam stitches pass through it and thus secure the box to the shoe. In case th'e adhesive coatin is provided, it insures a firm engagement etween. the upper portion/of the box and the damp lining of the upper, the last being allowed to remain in place unt-il the lining dries.

Fig. 7 shows the toe portion of a McKay sewed shoe of which`20 is'th-e inner sole.

Here the liange 16a of the box bears di rcctly upon the bottom of the last 17, as

in the turned shoe construction first described, the toe portion of the inner sole bearing on the outer side of the flange and the toe portion of the upper and its lining being bent over upon the outer surface of the inner sole and temporarily secured preparatory to the operation of applying the outer sole and securing the latter to the upper, inner sole, and box flange, by stitches formed by a McKay sewing machine. In this construction the adhesive coatin may be omitted from the box, although its use is preferred.

It will be seen that in each of the above described constructions the position of the box is accurately determined by the last,

there being nothing between the last and the bear directly on the upper surface of the toe portion of a last and thereby adapted to constitute an inner lining interposed between the usual lining at the toe portion of a shoe upper and the interior of the shoe, the box toe having its rear edge subdivided to form flexible tongues adapted to curl outwardly against the interior surface of the upper.

2. A box toe molded to conform to and bear directly on the upper surface ofthe toe portion of a last and thereby adapted to constitute an inner lining interposed between the usual lining at the toe portion of a shoe upper and the interior of the shoe, the box toe having its rear edge subdivided to form iexible tongues adapted to spring outwardly against the interior surface of the upper, and a soluble adhesive coating 3. A turned shoe having a molded-box .toe

cemented to' the toe port-ion of the upper portion of said lining and the interior of the shoe, the rear edge of said box toe being subdivided to form eXible tongues adapted to curl outwardly against the interior sur- 15 face of said upper lining.

In testimony whereof I have afixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

RANCHFORD B. MELANSON. Titnesses C. I". BROWN, P. XV. PEZZETTI. 

